


time for miracles

by BunniesofDoom



Series: something like magic [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crying, F/F, Friendship, Holding Hands, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Ruby Rose (RWBY) Needs a Hug, Spoilers: Volume 8 (RWBY), Volume 8 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29178792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunniesofDoom/pseuds/BunniesofDoom
Summary: "It's kind of hard to explain in words, but maybe—I can show you?"
Relationships: Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose, Ruby Rose & Nora Valkyrie
Series: something like magic [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2088465
Kudos: 30





	time for miracles

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it's almost time for volume 8 to start up again, so that means it's time for me to try to wrap up the majority of my what-if fics. Plus, if I keep starting aus, I need to at least try to wrap up some of the others. Title is from the adam lambert song.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

Penny is awake. Penny is alive. Penny is talking and smiling and looking at Ruby with brilliant green eyes that are full of life.

It feels like a miracle.

Part of Ruby had been terrified that when Penny had left for Amity that she was never going to see her friend again. Especially after the broadcast had cut out so suddenly, leaving Ruby worried for what could have happened to her friend and with no way to contact her or send help. The night had seemed to stretch on endlessly as she fretted uselessly about the fate of her friend.

But now Penny is here, right in front of her, telling her about the events that took place up on Amity Tower. Ruby's heart clenches at the thought of Penny fighting Cinder—Cinder, the person who had orchestrated her murder the first time around. She reminds herself that Penny is fine now, that she not only survived, but held her own against the Fall Maiden. And she managed to prevent the communications tower from being damaged too severely while she was at it.

"I managed to prop up Amity and bring the tower up into the proper broadcasting range," Penny says, smiling proudly. But then her smile turns to a frown. "And we managed to ensure that most of your speech was transmitted to the rest of Remnant. But then something went wrong. I felt something wrong inside me, something evil. Something that wasn't supposed to be there. And then I couldn't control what I was doing. I couldn't get my body to respond." She shakes her head in despair. "I'm so sorry, Ruby. If I'd fought harder, maybe I could have finished the broadcast, and my father and Maria wouldn't be in danger."

"Penny," Ruby says, taking the redhead's hands in her own. "This is not your fault. You didn't know what was happening. Whoever or whatever was controlling you, this is their fault, not yours. And as soon as we can, we'll find your father and Maria and bring them back safe, I promise."

Penny smiles weakly. "Thank you, Ruby. I couldn't ask for a better friend."

"Of course." Ruby squeezes Penny's hands gently, smiling reassuringly at her friend before biting her lip as she considers her next question. "Penny—the thing that was controlling you, have you felt it at all since you woke up?"

"No." Penny shakes her head. "When I first arrived here, I could still feel it, lurking in the background, waiting for a chance to take over again, but it's gone now. I don't feel it at all."

"Good," Ruby says firmly, squeezing Penny's hands again before pulling the other girl in for a tight hug. "Whatever is controlling you, we're going to stop them. I promise that I won't let them manipulate you again."

"Thank you, Ruby," Penny says softly, returning the hug eagerly. She pulls back reluctantly, looking Ruby squarely in the eye. "And thank you for repairing me. I know that I took an extensive amount of damage in the fall, and from my fight with Cinder, but everything seems to be in order now. I'm impressed with how thoroughly you managed to fix everything. And so quickly, too! You really are an incredibly skilled mechanic."

"Thanks, Penny." Ruby shifts awkwardly, trying to find the right words to explain what happened, how she really managed to fix Penny. If it was even something she did, and not just a miracle. "But I'm afraid it's a little more complicated than that."

"What do you mean?" Penny tilts her head in confusion.

"Well—" she trails off. "It's kind of hard to explain in words, but maybe—I can show you?"

It's an impulsive decision, but the idea has been lurking in the back of her mind since whatever had happened with Penny earlier. She glances over at Nora, still lying unconscious in Weiss' bed. If she can heal one of her friends, why not try to do it again?

She stands, wincing as blood rushes back into her legs after sitting for so long, and beckons for Penny to follow her as she makes her way over to the bed. Kline has left the room, so Ruby takes his spot in the chair next to Nora's bedside, Penny hovering awkwardly at her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" the redhead asks.

"You'll see," Ruby replies, leaning forward so that her head is directly over Nora's body. "Here goes nothing," she mutters under her breath.

Part of her is convinced that it won't work, that whatever happened earlier was just a fluke and she's just setting herself up for disappointment, but she forces herself to push those thoughts away. They won't help her right now.

Instead, she thinks of Nora, the light of their group, always so boisterous and full of energy. She was always smiling, always trying to make people laugh. When they'd made their way across Anima, they'd all been grieving Pyrrha in their own ways. Nora had been the one to keep their spirits up, to keep them all sane on their darkest days, to keep them moving forwards when even Ruby's determination was starting to fail.

Ruby had always wished that there was some way she could repay her, but Nora had insisted that it was nothing, that anyone would do the same. The redhead never seemed to realize how special she was, how important she was to all of them. Now is Ruby's chance to give back to someone who has given her so much. She takes a deep breath.

If trying to stop herself from crying earlier had felt awkward, trying to make herself cry on purpose now feels incredibly strange. It's not terribly difficult, given how exhausted and scared and worried Ruby feels, but it still feels odd. Wrong. Selfish. Like she's letting everyone down by having emotions, by being human.

But she's doing this to protect her friends. To heal Nora.

When the first tear drips from Ruby's cheek and falls with a gentle splash onto Nora's chest, Penny lets out a soft noise of surprise. "Ruby! Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I'm okay," Ruby insists, pulling back once her tears have started to glow silver again and wiping at her face. "Look."

They both watch in stunned silence as the light from the shining tears intensifies, spreading to cover Nora's entire body. As the light fades slowly, revealing a Nora that looks much less pale and pained, fresh wounds faded to old scars. As Nora groans and stirs slightly, scrunching up her face.

"Is that a normal function of human tears?" Penny asks Ruby. "I've never seen anything like it."

"No, it's not," Ruby replies, smiling slightly. She's overwhelmed with relief.

It worked. Ruby can't believe that it actually worked.

On the bed, green eyes slowly open, and Nora's mouth stretches open in a massive yawn. She blinks up at Ruby and Penny, still staring at her in shock, looking bemused. "Hey guys, what's up? That was a nice nap. What'd I miss while I was out? Did that look as cool as it felt?"

Neither of them respond, unsure of what to say. Nora frowns. "Uh, guys? What's going on?"

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment and leave kudos if you liked it.
> 
> Just a reminder that I do take requests for fics, so if there's an idea that you'd like to see me write, feel free to message me and if I like it, I might end up writing something for it.


End file.
